Current evidence on the use of mHealth approaches in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review

Background

Mobile health (mHealth) approaches are especially beneficial to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which has a disproportionate disease burden and a scarcity of healthcare workers.

Objective

This study aims to assess the availability, stage, and targeted health issues of mHealth interventions in SSA and to identify the gaps.

Methods

The study employed a scoping review guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework to explore the use of mHealth in SSA. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used to report the review in a transparent and comprehensive manner. Articles published from 2000 to 2021 were searched in PUBMED, IEEE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science and evaluated with set of inclusion criteria. Data from the included publications were retrieved and synthesized.

Results

A total of 1020 articles were found. 59 of these have met the criteria for inclusion. The results show the implementation of mHealth interventions in 21 SSA nations. Only 1 (2%) mHealth interventions used a wearable sensor-based approach. 13 (22%) were SMS text-based interventions, 17 (29%) were app-based mHealth approaches, 18 (30%) were telemedicine-based approaches, and 10 (17%) were mixed approaches. HIV, cancer, and maternal and child health problems are the most commonly discussed health issues. Proof of concept, design and development, a pilot test were the frequently documented stages of mHealth interventions.

Conclusion

Less than half of SSA countries incorporate mHealth platforms, highlighting the need for further development. Integrating wearable based platforms for real-time monitoring of physiological parameters demands careful consideration.

Public Interest Summary

Mobile health (mHealth) technology is believed to be very beneficial for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) nations where there is a high disease burden but  inadequate healthcare system. Evidence-based data on the use and implementation of mHealth systems is needed to trace implementation and fill existing gaps. We performed a scoping review to determine the current availability, use, and stage of mHealth interventions and targeted health services in SSA. 21 SSA nations made (few) attempts in designing and implementing of mHealth systems. HIV, cancer, and maternal and child health are some of the health services among others. Though few large-scale implementations were reported, most interventions are at an early stage. mHealth solution should be designed to be both economical and simple to use to increase its uptake and incorporate wearables for real-time monitoring of physiological parameters.